Busting belly fat

Just last week I reminded you all of the different types of body fat; subcutaneous or peripheral fat (pear shape) and belly fat of visceral fat which accumulates around the internal organs behind the abdominal wall (apple shape).  You need to remember that this type of fat is the dangerous kind.  Abdominal fat releases proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which then goes on to damage arteries and sets up camp in your liver; which affects how your body processes sugars and fats.  Belly fat is also linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and other chronic diseases.  But now you can do something about it!

Diet is key - obviously.  A poor diet causes the body to accumulate fat and to hold on to it, so changing your diet will change your body shape.  You really need to sit down and take a close look at your diet and decide what changes you need to make.  An effective way of doing this is to maintain a food diary for a week or two.  EVERY TIME you eat or drink something... write it down - don't wait until the end of the day to do it - you'll forget a lot of it!

Two major changes you'll need to incorporate to make your belly blitz work are:

1. INCREASE healthy fats in your diet.  There has been a lot of noise in the press lately about low fat diets NOT helping with weight loss - and they don't.  Fat is no the baddy - MUFAs (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids) found in nuts, olive oil and avocados have been shown to promote abdominal fat loss.
2. QUIT ADDED SUGAR - all forms.  This includes all processed foods - sweet or savory, honey, agave, all grains including organic, as they quickly break down into sugar in the body.  When you think food think natural - fruit, vegetables, animal protein and as organic as possible.  Forget processed meats such as hot dogs or hamburgers.  Forget soft drinks and alcohol, french fries, ketchup and mayonnaise.

Think - fresh vegetables, salads, homemade burgers, baked fish.  Think fresh produce and go as organic as you can.

Even for me, as a nutritionist, I find the immense amount of information about diets very confusing.  For example:

• You have to eat 3 meals a day
• Never skip breakfast
• You should eat 5 small meals a day
• You should drink 3 liters of water every day
• etc.. etc..etc..

I believe that no one diet fits all.  It depends on you, your lifestyle, your body.  Some people can't face breakfast - others can't live without it.  Some people are constant grazers and need to eat all the time - others don't.  However, there is a lot to be said for fasting - you can read my post about the science behind fasting here.  It really does help your body to do what it needs to do on a celular level.  If your mechanics are working well then your weight loss plan will work better.  So consider skipping breakfast and making lunch your first meal of the day... think about that.

Obviously we are all human, and as humans we all make mistakes.  Here are the most common mistakes that lead to your belly fat in the first place:

1. SOFT DRINKS:  Obviously drinking sodas packed full of sugar will make you fat.  But did you know that drinking DIET soda can double your risk of obesity compared to drinking none?  Research has shown that drinking diet soda gives you a higher risk of weigh gain than drinking regular soda.  Water is your best friend - the only one you can rely on.
2. MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY:  This mineral is extremely important as it is used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles and kidneys.  Investigators have discovered that people who consume higher levels of magnesium tend to have lower blood sugar and insulin levels.  Low levels of magnesium have been found to be the culprit for unexplained fatigue, or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle spasms, and eye twitches.  Lots of vegetables are great sources of magnesium: swiss chard, spinach, nuts and seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, some beans, avocados and seaweed.
3. STRESS:  If you are stressed your stress hormone levels will be elevated and this can hamper even the most diligent of weight loss programs.  You must find a stress busting program that suits you.  As with dieting it depends on what works for you, some people prefer a physical activity like running, boxing or cycling.  Others prefer meditation, yoga, listening to music, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).  Or a combination.  Personally I have had great results from sophrology and Yoga - especially when combined with running - which brings me to my final point.
4. EXERCISE:  Movement - any type of movement.  Our sedentary lifestyles are killing us.  The human body needs constant movement.  If you are stuck at a desk, in and office for 9 hours a day - 3-5 visits to the gym every week will do NOTHING to counteract the negative effects of sitting down all day.  So try and incorporate as much movement into your daily life as possible.  Stand up and stretch every half an hour, use the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the bus or subway a stop or two early and walk the rest of the way.  Don't park right outside where you are going.  Park a little further away and walk.  MOVE ALL YOU CAN.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com